Flaming Relations
by Reflection of a Broken Dream
Summary: It all began with a fire youkai, Taiki, and an ice maiden, Hina...but it didn't end there. Taiki isn't the father Hiei thinks he was...and Taiki happened to fall for a miko many years later, leading to the birth of two half-siblings for Hiei and Yukina- Kagome and Souta. What happens when Kagome finds out who her father really was? What happens when Hiei finds out? Add one curious


**Flaming Relations**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Kurama (Yu Yu Hakusho) x Kagome (Inuyasha)**

**A Quick Note**:

\- This fic was inspired by erica, who left a review on The Forbidden Ones. Thank you erica!

\- I hope you all enjoy this! XD

\- The way Hina dies in the anime is much different than the manga. I have decided to go with the anime way because I don't know much about the manga.

\- There is much controversy over Hiei and Yukina's age...no one really knows how old they are. There is also controversy over time frames...I'm not sure, myself, and I don't have the entire series to take notes from. So...I'm going to do it _this _way. It's called fan_fiction_ for a _reason_, you know. xP

\- There will be longer time lapses than in the anime. Hiei left Rui a half a year before Taiki- Hiei and Yukina's father in this fic- found her. From there Hiei searched and found Yukina, peeking in with her every so often and protecting her. Taiki searches for them both for a span of about fifty years. At the end of that fifty years is when Yukina goes to Ningenkai, leading both Hiei and Taiki there via rumors. Hiei continues the search, finding her with the Spirit Detectives about eighteen years later. By this point in time, Taiki is...

\- Also! I'm changing an important fact in the story! Ji-san isn't Hikari's father-in-law, he's her actual father. He introduced her into a world of demons...and to her husband in the process...

**Disclaimer**:

I don't own them and I don't claim to!

...I just like writing the characters into interesting situations... XD

**Flaming Relations**

**Chapter 1 - Prologue: A Father's Love**

"Damn it...," a man muttered to himself as he traversed through the barren wastelands of the floating Ice Domain. He was trying to remain inconspicuous...he didn't want the ice maidens from the Glacial Village to notice him... And yet...glancing back, every footprint he'd made in the snow had scorched their way down to the ice-covered ground. He sighed as he faced forwards again, his large hand running through his short, flaming red hair. "So much for being inconspicuous..." Peeking around with his red-orange eyes, the man realized that he was in a familiar place. "Well Hina, my love...we will be meeting again soon, I do think." He smiled to himself as he approached what was to be their rendezvu point, the man anxious to see her again. When he arrived, however, it wasn't Hina standing in wait at the tree... "Who're you?"

"You're the man Hina was with...," the woman spoke softly, her long icy blue hair whipping about in the wind. She didn't move to turn to him, her face downcast and hidden by her hair. "...Taiki..."

"How do you know that?" he asked apprehensively. "Did Hina ask you to meet me here in her stead? Where _is _Hina?" Dark eyes filled with remorse finally turned back to him and the woman pointed a dainty finger down to a stone protruding from the ground. Hesitantly, the man stepped forwards a few more steps and his burning eyes found the stone and its inscription. It was Hina's grave. She was dead. For the very first time, Taiki felt cold inside... "How...?"

"She was pregnant with your children," the woman explained, her voice gentle. Taiki felt shock course through him, her dark eyes understanding as she took her time explaining the happenings. "And she gave birth to twins. Yukina, an ice maiden like the rest of us, and Hiei...a male Forbidden Child unlike anything we've ever seen..."

"She died in childbirth, then?" Taiki asked, his voice husky as a large hand ran through his hair. His mind was still sorting through everything. "What of our children?" A male child would not be so easily accepted...he had to make sure that his little ones were alright...

"Hina didn't die in childbirth," she replied softly, her eyes filled with sorrow. Taiki's eyes widened with realization. "Yukina was accepted into our culture and grew up here. Hiei..." Her lips trembled as tears welled in her eyes. Taiki's eyes narrowed in anger. They killed his child?! "Hina plead with the elders and fought against them as much as she possibly could... She wouldn't do it, she wouldn't cast him out like they ordered her to do. She wanted her children to live in peace. She would have left the village to save him...but they wouldn't allow it."

"They killed my child!" Taiki roared in anguish. "Did they kill Hina as well?"

"_They _didn't...," the woman answered, her voice filled with regret and pain. "_I _was made to do it. _I _cast your son from the cliff." Taiki's eyes widened once more as he took in the woman before him, his clenched fists at his sides filling with his heated blood as everything sank in. "It wasn't long after that Hina killed herself, unable to bear the fate of her beloved son..." She didn't even get a chance to blink before he was upon her, his bloody hand clamped tightly around her throat as he growled ferociously at the, now scared, woman.

"Give me one reason not to kill you here and now," Taiki seethed, his burning eyes boring into the frightened ice maiden's orbs, her hands gently gripping at his hand in attempt to loosen it. She wasn't nearly strong enough to loosen his hand even a _bit_.

"Hiei showed me mercy...," the woman rasped in his grasp.

"What?" Taiki asked, again taken by surprise.

"He's alive...," she managed to get out and he loosened his hold a bit, allowing her to breathe freely again. She gathered her breath and her courage before continuing the story. "When Yukina was old enough, I told her of the happenings and she set out after her twin. I told Hiei everything, as well, when he came to kill all of the ice maidens...and I was the first he found. He left me- and all of the others- alive after our encounter, even though we don't deserve it..." Tears dripped down from her eyes, crystals falling onto the ground about them, the snow around them melted away from Taiki's momentarily uncontrolled rage. "He went looking for Yukina...and I have no doubt that he has found her. He will protect her." Taiki kept his gaze on the maiden before him, his anger diminished considerably. Finally, he released her from his hold and the man stepped back a step, her hand gingerly rubbing her bruised and blood-covered neck.

"I take it Hina told you about our rendezvu and asked you to speak to me when I returned," Taiki surprised her, her eyes widening as he stepped another step away from her.

"She did," the woman responded, her voice still a little husky from being choked. "It was her last request besides telling Yukina of her brother and the happenings when she was old enough to learn of it." Taiki nodded somewhat stiffly.

"And Hiei showed you mercy even after learning what you did to him?" Taiki continued his line of questioning, getting a nod from the woman. Her eyes were guilt-ridden. "Well..." Taiki took a great breath and released it as he, again, ran a hand through his hair. "Hiei is alive and well...as is Yukina. He seems to have grown into a fine young man..." His little ones were about two hundred now, which would make them teens according to their species. Flaming eyes pierced the dark eyes of the ice maiden. "...and since your wrong was against _him _and he has decided to allow you mercy, I will not spoil his judgement by spilling your blood. He bears no grudge, as you are not dead, so I will leave you be." Her eyes widened again as he turned away from her. He hesitated a moment before speaking again. "What is your name, woman?"

"Rui," she answered him softly, Rui once again left to wonder over the fact that she wasn't dead yet.

"Rui...I shall remember your name," Taiki promised as he started striding away from the clearing. "Do not cross my children again...or the next time you _will _be killed." Rui could only shudder at the deadly promise in his voice as he walked away, the woman crumbling to the ground before her dear friend's grave. Taiki strode away with purpose. His beloved Hina was no more...but he had a new purpose in life now. He had to find his children; he had to help them by any means possible. Whistling, he summoned his white steed. The demonic horse came to him within mere moments, his mane and tail made of boisterous flames, smaller flames licking his hooves as he stopped near to Taiki. "Haruto. Here...to me." Taiki held out his hand and brushed it against the horse's long face, said horse nuzzling his hand in turn. "We set out to explore Makai...in search of the children I sired." The horse whinnied and stepped closer to his lord. Taiki easily jumped upon his back and the demon steed took to the sky, a blazing trail of fire left behind them as they dove down into the lower regions of Makai. "I may not know them...but these children of mine were concieved in love between myself and Hina. I don't want them suffer more than they already have..." With that, Taiki began his very long journey to find his children...

Years passed.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Fourty. Fifty.

In this span of time Taiki never caught sight of his children, only rumors. Because of what they were, rumors were easy to come by. That made things easier for him in some respects...but it seemed like they both were quite good at hiding and covering their tracks. It wasn't a surprising trait for them to have, considering their heritage...but it made things _much _harder on him than he'd have liked them to be... If he could only find them, they wouldn't have to hide anymore. Taiki would have kept his children safe...

When he was wondering if he would _ever _catch up to them, he finally heard another rumor. A troubling one, at that. They'd ventured into Ningenkai, realm of the humans. Why, he didn't know...it would be even harder to hide there...but he followed them nonetheless, leaving his trusty demon steed behind in Makai. Luckily, Taiki came out in a cave near a campsite of humans...and he got a good look at them before he snuck around them and made his way to a lake to rest. Going through the barrier between worlds was always a pain...

"Humans are so dull...," he complained as he knelt by the river, scooping some water up in his hand to drink. He took a few swallows before looking down at his reflection in the gently rippling current. His bright eyes and hair stood out starkly from the dark-haired and dark-eyed people he'd seen at the campsite. A few red markings he was born with lay just beneath his ears and were stretching slightly onto his face. Humans had no markings...only fair skin. Taiki frowned at himself. "If I'm to blend in...to find Hiei and Yukina...I have to change my appearance..." With a soft sigh, Taiki muttered a soft spell he'd learned from an old friend, his outer appearance changing before his eyes. First, his markings vanished, leaving only sunkissed skin. Then his bright red hair turned to obsidian...and, lastly, his eyes began to change color. Not wanting to look _completely _dull, Taiki changed the color to a deep blue instead of black. "There...I look...mortal..." Frowning again, Taiki heaved a heavy sigh. "Hopefully they won't stay here long. I don't like hiding my appearance so..."

One thing remained odd, however. His clothing. Red, white, and orange regal clothes of a noble demon adorned his muscular frame in an attractive way, a black silk cloth tied at his waist to keep his thigh-length long-sleeved crimson overshirt with orange hemming and details close to his body. The white undershirt was sleeveless and loose, showing slightly beneath his parted overshirt. Long loose orange pants were beneath that, the pants tucked into his special-made heat-impervious black boots.

"Hmm...my clothes don't quite fit in...," Taiki spoke his thoughts aloud, the man sighing again. "I guess I have no choice...getting to a store with these on isn't an option..." Standing, Taiki made his way stealthily back to the camp, the man nicking a set of clothes from a camper. He went back to his lake retreat and changed his clothes. He'd stolen a pair of long blue jeans that barely fit- he was taller than most of the campers- and a black t-shirt. The shirt was snug to his form because he was so large and muscular...but it would have to do. Tucking the pants into his boots- he kept his own boots- Taiki then proceeded to dig a hole and bury his regal clothing. He would come back for them at another time. That done, Taiki set off into the human world to find Hiei and Yukina...

For three long years, Taiki scoured all of Japan for Yukina and Hiei.

He looked everywhere he could manage, from the biggest cities to vast forests and secluded mountaintops. They remained illusively hidden, old trails teasing him and keeping his children carefully out of reach.  
It was frustrating.

Agonizing.

Maddening, even.

He wanted to see them so badly now...and yet...he wasn't fast enough to catch them. In fact, Taiki would say that he was _quite _behind them now. There were little to no chances of finding them...and his poor soul was wearing thin from all of the times he got his hopes high only for them to come crashing back down on top of him. He was almost ready to give up the search.

That's when things changed.

Taiki met _her_.

The young woman's name was Hikari and she was the daughter of Daisuke, who owned a shrine, making her the presiding priestess. The name of the shrine and their family- Higurashi- was ominous, considering it meant 'Sunset' and he was a fire demon that lived with his kin in the eastern providence of Makai in Rising Sun Valley...but he had still felt compelled to enter the shrine. There were no actual signs or clues that lead him there, but he decided to search the area nonetheless...and that particular turn of events lead him to bump into Hikari. She was the kindest person he'd ever met, right next to Hina. She bore nothing against him, even knowing that he was a demon right off (Daisuke taught her everything she knew about demons, surprisingly enough), and she even volunteered to help him find his kids. He was greatful for the help, as worn as he was, and they even gave him a place to stay. True to their word, Hikari and Daisuke helped him search for Hiei and Yukina. In return for their help, Taiki did what he could to help them around the shrine.

Months wore on with little to no hints to their whereabouts...and Taiki found himself getting closer and closer to Hikari... It really wasn't a surprise to any of them when they had fallen in love. Taiki asked her father, then her, for her hand in marriage to be proper in the human customs. They married quickly and mated. While his search continued, Taiki gave more of his time to his beautiful new mate and he had opted to help more at the shrine. He even forged paperwork so that he could get a job to help support them. Taiki never fully stopped in his search for his children, but it took a bit of a backseat to his new life he was making with his mate...even more so when she became pregnant with their first child. Taiki felt a mix of emotions at her pregnancy. While he was definitely happy...he was also sad. He would be the sire of another hanyou child that wouldn't fit in. She wouldn't be accepted in _any _world... Talking to his mate of his concerns, they decided on a course of action. Once their child was born, they would seal her youki away to make her into a normal human girl. She would enjoy life as any human child would and they would be all the wiser. When she grew to be an adult, they would tell her of her heritage and then she could choose whether or not she wanted to accept the power. She could embrace it and hide herself from humanity...or she could continue to live on as a human until the day she would innevitibly die as one...

The day came when their darling daughter, Kagome, was born. She had pointed ears like her father as well as his claws. Her black hair was streaked with red and her eyes were the color of sunrise. They sealed her youki away almost immediately, the spell taking away her demonic features as well as turning her hair completely black. Her eyes- an alluring array of orange and red hues- reverted to azure in favor of Taiki's false human eyes. Kagome's youki was also sealed away with her features, leaving the child with only a meager amount of reiki. She was made human in every way possible...and she was dearly loved by her parents.

To keep Kagome from finding out what he was, Taiki was very careful not to let his guise down in front of her. It wasn't so hard at first...but it became harder as she got older. That didn't make him love her any less, though. He loved her as much as he would have Hiei and Yukina...both of which remained out of his grasp. He searched for them every now and again, but not _nearly _as often as he used to. He often thought of them, though, and what he wanted to do for them, what he wanted to give them as a father. In the meantime...he spoiled Kagome. While he also taught her proper respect, obeying her parents and such, he also had to admit that he spoiled her rotten. That said, he also had to admit that part of giving her everything he possibly could was his attempt at atonement for the children he couldn't give to...

And then Hikari had become pregnant with Souta. Six years had passed since Kagome's birth and Taiki couldn't have been happier. He still wished to find and help his other two, but they remained out of reach. There was nothing he could do...so he continued to dote upon the family that he had made and loved dearly.

Time passed and Souta was born.

They did the same to him as they had for Kagome, sealing away his demonic features upon birth. His fully red hair, like his father's, and his darker sunset-colored eyes were also hidden by the seal. Dark hair and blue eyes replaced those features...he was made fully and completely human. A few days passed and Taiki and Hikari loved and doted on Souta as much as they had Kagome. Kagome loved on her brother as much as any of them did and helped out how she could. Everything went smoothly...until something abruptly changed.

It was evening, nearing night time, and the darkening sky was filled with dark clouds. Rain was innevitable, you could smell it on the wind. It was almost at the precise moment that lightning seared the sky that a rise in youki could be felt by Taiki, Hikari, and Daisuke.

"What was _that_..?" Hikari asked softly, her dark eyes wide in surprise. She had just put Souta to sleep in his bassinet and she was now reclining in bed.

"Youki," Daisuke frowned, his eyes glazed over as he sought out the source of the youki.

"It's nearby...," Taiki added on, feeling a protective edge coming on. How _dare _a youkai come into _his _territory! It was clearly marked, four blocks all the way around the shrine for extra insurance. A powerful father, like him, was very protective of his mate and his children when his little ones were first born...he'd done the same when Kagome was born and nothing like _this _had happened... The pitiful demons of the area knew to stay away. "Within four blocks, closer to three, in fact..." A low growl reverberated through his frame at the insolence of the youkai. "I'm going to take care of this."

"Taiki...," Hikari whispered, her voice laced with worry. "Be careful..."

"I will," he answered softly, cupping her cheek and giving her a soft kiss.

"I'm coming with you," Daisuke surprised them as Taiki pulled away. The men locked eyes and they nodded. Another flash of lightning streaked through the sky and thunder rumbled after it.

"MOMMY!" a female voice yelled as a small pair of feet padded down the hall. The body of a small Kagome threw open the door and the girl all but crashed into the bed.

"Darling...," Hikari cooed in a gentle voice, a light smile on her face as the girl scrambled up onto the bed with her and hid beneath the covers. "Are you alright?"

"Thunder is scary," was the answer she gave as the new lump beneath the covers shook with fear. "Can I sleep with you and daddy tonight?" Hikari and Taiki shared a slightly amused look before she turned back to Kagome and ran her hand over the girl's hidden back.

"Yes, of course, dear," Hikari answered gently, the girl curling up around her mother. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your daddy and Ji-san? They have to run an errand..."

"Bye daddy, bye Ji-san," Kagome spoke as she poked her head out of the covers. She was still lightly trembling in her mother's grasp.

"See you in a bit, Kagome," Ji-san patted her head affectionately and moved anxiously towards the door.

"Be a good girl for mommy, alright?" Taiki asked gently, the man placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

"I will be, daddy," Kagome agreed with a smile as she pecked his cheek. He mussed her hair playfully before moving away from them.

"Bye daddy, bye Ji-san," Hikari smiled and waved as they exited the room, Kagome following suit. Both waved until they were out the door.

"How long do you think this is going to take?" Daisuke grunted out as he and Taiki hurried downstairs.

"A few minutes, at least," Taiki noted as he kept track of the youki. "It's three demons fighting one another, I think. Two are stronger and one is weaker..."

"Gotcha," Daisuke nodded as they donned their shoes and rushed out the front door. It took them a few minutes to find the area they were looking for, the sources coming from a secluded back allyway. Daisuke followed Taiki, the demon's senses better than his own. When they skid to a stop, Taiki could hardly believe his eyes. Cornered in the ally was a young man that was heavily bleeding. He was undoubtibly youkai by the feel of his weakened youki, his black hair defying gravity as it reached for the dark sky. A white starburst peeked out of his tall hair and crimson eyes were hardened...but held a trace a fear in them. Black clothing cloaked his body, but Taiki recognized his scent right away. The young man smelled of himself and Hina...he could only be...

"What'cha gonna do, Hiei?" the man before him sneered. Hiei didn't answer him. "Fuckin' hanyou!" The man kicked Hiei in the ribs, the boy grunting at the blow. His teeth were ground together in an attempt not to groan in pain as blood trickled down from his lips. Hiei was severely injured... "I said WHAT'CHA GONNA DO NOW?! Pussy! I can't believe a wussy like _you _killed my brother!"

"Taiki...," Daisuke hesitated. Taiki could feel his human guise flickering away. He was starting to see red...

"Leave this to _me_...," Taiki snarled, moving towards the one-sided battle before anything more could be said. Rain began to come down in thick droplets, the air soaking up the moisture and making it impossible to smell hardly anything now. "You get kicks picking on kids you push down?" The surprised demon moved to turn to Taiki, but he was too slow. The fire demon's fist came into contact with his jaw with a loud, satisfying, crack, sending the boy sprawling into the brick wall a few feet to Hiei's left.

"What the fuck?!" the mutt of a demon yelled as he sat up to face Taiki.

"You're on my turf," Taiki ground out as a sadistic smile inched its way onto his lips. The younger demon looked intimidated, as he should have been. "Violence is prohibitted. I made that clear. Now you die." Taiki rushed to the punk's side, picked him up by his head and crushed his skull mid-air. He couldn't help but feel morbidly satisfied by the bloody kill. His eyes flickered to the side, however, as Hiei shifted. Crimson orbs locked on him unsteadily and Taiki could practically _feel _his hesitation. "Are you alright?"

"...I guess...," Hiei managed to rasp out, the boy wiping at his lips. "I was trying to avoid him. His other brother is around here somewhere...he is the _real _challenge."

"Damn...," Taiki growled, a snarl ripping from his lips as he tossed the corpse aside. "Figures..." He started to run a hand through his hair when a piercing pain caught his attention. Two sets of red eyes widened and blood trickled down from Taiki's lips.

"You're going to die...," a husky voice whispered into Taiki's ear. "You and that boy killed my only brothers...now I'm going to kill _you_." Looking down, Taiki noticed that a foreign hand was sticking through his abdomin. It abruptly pulled out and another hand roughly pushed him forwards. His face met with the cold hard ground, water from a small puddle splashing in his face. _'I let my guard down_...,' Taiki lamented silently as he looked up at the man above him. He was dressed in all black with sandy blond hair. Crimson-bled eyes clearly showed his anger as they turned to Hiei.

"Taiki!" Daisuke called from a ways away.

"Humans are easy," the man snorted, fixing his gaze on Hiei, the boy backing into the wall. "You're first." He began striding towards Hiei and Taiki found the strength to get back up. _'I finally found him...,' _Taiki growled silently as he narrowed his eyes at the man and strode towards him with purpose. _'I'm not losing him to __**you**_!'

"Stay out of the fight, Daisuke," Taiki called from over his shoulder as he clasped his hand on the man's shoulder. The foreign demon sneered as he looked back at him.

"You want to be first? I can arrange that," the demon growled. He and Taiki began to fight faster than Daisuke could keep up with, hands thrusting and clawing voraciously, blood spurting here and there, feet moving swiftly this way and that.

"Get out of here, Hiei," Taiki yelled commandingly as he locked the demon into a standstill after a long moment, Taiki holding both of his fists in his clenched hands as his crimson orbs found Hiei.

"But...," Hiei started and stopped, the boy having stood up and unsheithed his sword.

"You're in no condition to fight," Taiki replied easily. Blood was steadily dripping from Hiei's rain-soaked form. "Get out of here as fast as you can. I'll take care of this one." After a brief moment, Hiei nodded and sheithed his sword.

"I don't know who you are or why you've decided to spare me...but...," Hiei started, a somewhat regretful yet grateful look on his face. "Thank you."

"It's fine, kid," Taiki grinned as he tightened his hold on the demon's hands. "Get out of here and protect your sister, alright?" With startled eyes and another nod, Hiei scaled the brick wall and used it to help him up onto a balcony of an apartment. He then proceeded to use the fire escape to climb onto the roof. Soon...he was out of sight. '_I was able to do something for them after all,' _Taiki chuckled to himself softly, feeling a bit numb from the cold rain. '_I just wish it had been under different circumstances...' _Grunting, he pushed the demon back and they began their fight over again. Several minutes passed and Taiki found it hard to continue. His wounds were quite grave, just like Hiei's were...the fight _had _to come to an end. To his surprise, the demon used his speed to get behind Taiki again. Taiki spun on his heel and another great pain made him stagger. This time it was in his chest. He used what strength he had left to pierce the grinning demon's body. Taiki's right hand buried itself into the side of the demon as he chuckled darkly, blood spilling from his lips.

"You're dying," the demon rasped out giddily.

"You're already dead," Taiki shot back with his own grin, the demon's eyes widening as Taiki used a little of his youki to set the man on fire from the inside out. He let out a pained wail before the flames swallowed him. Taiki watched in morbid fascination for a moment as the man burned away despite the cold, hard, pounding rain. Looking back to the start of the allyway, he could see Daisuke watching with a mix of horror and concern in his features. "Don't worry...I'm..." Taiki didn't get much farther. Two steps were made before he crumpled to the ground. The next thing he knew, Daisuke was frantically turning him over, his warm hands moving to Taiki's torso. "Funny...I didn't feel it bleeding so much..." Reiki danced in his senses and he realized that Daisuke was trying to heal him.

"You lost too much blood, Taiki," Daisuke spoke up, his voice showing how shaken he was. "The wound here on your chest...it's too close to your heart..." Tears clung to the old man's eyes and Taiki found he couldn't feel much more than peaceful and satisfied. "You're dying..." Still, he tried to heal him. Taiki smiled up at the old man.

"Quit wasting your energy, then," he chuckled out, a tang of metallic blood seeping back into his mouth. "I think...I'm alright with this...going this way..." Daisuke's eyes widened in obvious shock. "That was Hiei." Taiki entertained the idea of Daisuke's eyes popping out of his skull at the rate they were widening. "I was able to do something for him and Yukina in the end, after all..." He let out another chuckle and Daisuke's eyes narrowed in sadness. Taiki's eyes were getting cloudy and dark... "Tell Hikari, Kagome, and Souta that I love them...will you do that for me?"

"...I will...," Daisuke answered after a moment's hesitation, moisture welling in his eyes.

"Thank you...," Taiki let out a relieved breath. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, Daisuke...I appreciate it."

"You've been a pleasure from the start, Taiki," Daisuke replied softly. "You were like the son I never had." Taiki smiled proudly, his vision getting hazy and distant. The pain was numbed away by the rain, so Taiki only felt the odd sensation of his soul beginning to slip away from his body... In those fleeting moments, a distant, ironic, memory of his mother surfaced.

"Born in the east...in the land of the rising sun...," Taiki fondly whispered the words of a song he had been taught by his mother when he was a child, his sight dimming as a smile lingered on his lips. "Death lies to the west...where the sun doth set... The cycle of life goes on...and one day, my child...you'll live, from east...to west..." Barely able to finish the verse, Taiki let out a shuddering breath as the last vestiges of life left him.

...He was gone...

Daisuke let the tears burn searing trails down his cheeks and onto the fallen demon lord he felt was family. He knew that the song was Taiki's mother's favorite. Taiki had shared it with them a few times, as ironic as it was...on much sunnier, happier days... "I'm sorry you weren't able to see your children until the end, Taiki...it's cruel that things have ended this way. But...," Daisuke's shoulders shook lightly as he looked up at the dark sky above. "...after everything that's happened, at least you could save them. After all this time..." He shook his head and looked back down at the demon's peaceful face. "If that isn't a father's love, I don't know what _is_..." Daisuke slowly shook it all off and cleared his voice, speaking clearly as he blessed the demon's body. "From sunrise to sunset, your life was as warm as and as bright as the sun, Taiki. As your namesake implies, you were like a great shining light to all who saw you. Your power was great, and your warmth and kindess even greater. You will be dearly missed, my son. I pray that the gods have mercy on your gentle soul." After a few long, bittersweet minutes of prayer and being completely drenched by the freezing rain, Daisuke found the will to get up and find the nearest pay phone. His friend worked for the mortuary...he knew about demons. He _had _to be the one to get on this case... Daisuke didn't look forwards to going home after the bodies were collected, either... With a heavy sigh, he reached the pay phone and found some quarters.

This was going to be a _very _long night...

**A Few Days Later...**

_'I'm getting nearer to his den...,' _Hiei thought to himself as his Jagan eye twitched beneath his white headband. After a few days of rest, he had completely healed and decided to find the man that had helped him out. _'That old man is the one that was with him that night_...' Following Daisuke from a distance, Hiei made his way towards the Higurashi Shrine. _'A shrine..?' _Confusion gnawed at the koorime as he continued to hide in the shadows. Humans were filing in and out of the shrine at a steady pace, all of them wearing black. The scent of salty tears was heavy in the air as well as grief. '_Surely this cannot be the place where he resides_...' He was about to go wait for the old man outside of the shrine grounds when he caught sight of a little girl tucked into herself at the base of a large tree that was giving off some odd form of energy. It was neither reiki nor youki...it was just...odd. It wasn't aggressive energy, either...it was warm energy that seemed to surround the entire shrine, as if to protect it. The energy nearest the base of the tree was particularly warm and enveloping, almost as if it were trying to give comfort to the teary-eyed girl that sat beneath its boughs.

"Daddy...," the little girl sniffled. Even from a distance, Hiei could hear her clearly. Her voice gave him pause and he stood there hesitantly for a moment before trying to use his Jagan eye to see into her mind. His youki had to reach her in order for him to read her mind...Hiei kept his crimson eyes on the tree as his youki brushed against its odd and powerful energy. It gently brushed back, as if testing his youki to see if it was hostile. He was careful not to lash out against its gentle prodding energy. After a few long seconds, it retracted towards the girl and gave him a clear path to her. Letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, Hiei continued to expand his youki towards the girl and he let his Jagan enter her mind. Her thoughts were ajumble, all centered around her wanting her father to come home and knowing that he never would. He was dead. Pictures of her father flew through her mind, unbidden, and Hiei couldn't help but stiffen at the images. It was that man that had helped him out the other night...Taiki.  
He was dead.

Gently pulling away from the girl's mind as not to anger the tree, he stretched his youki towards the shrine so that he could read the old man's mind. It took him a moment to find him, but he immediately searched his memories the moment Hiei found him, leaving out the sound and thoughts- he didn't need them to know what happened. Hiei had to sit back on his haunches to keep from tipping over when he found the memory, his hand touching the ground to keep him upright. The man had died the night he'd saved Hiei. If Hiei hadn't have gotten himself cornered that night...Taiki wouldn't have died. Two children were now fatherless because of _him_.

Hiei felt bile rising in his throat at the thought.

He had never meant to cause such harm to children. Corrupted adults, he had no problem with hurting...but innocent children? He had made it a part of his code to never harm them in any way, even indirectly. This was a very serious indirect blow to two very innocent children. Hiei would have questioned their humanity after seeing Taiki in his full-blooded fire demon form, but he could feel the strong reiki-youki bindings on them- the bonds were much fresher on the newborn male in the shrine than on the girl outside; in fact, in a few years hers would probably be undetectable... Going by the combined memories of the girl and the old man, the mother was human, so the two had to be hanyou. Their parents bound their youki away and turned them, completely, into humans in order for them to be able to fit into this world and live a normal life. They had good parents. Taiki was a good man.

Guilt was beginning to drown Hiei as his crimson eyes fixated once again on the fractured child beneath the large tree. This was his fault. He couldn't fix things...but...maybe...maybe he could atone for what his actions had caused. There were no words he could give that could console them, he wouldn't even try, but he could keep the area safe for them to live in. It was the least he could do for the innocent family that suffered because of him. Mind made up, Hiei quickly evacuated the shrine grounds via the shadows and he started in on his first round around the area.

_'There's a portal that leads to Makai near here...,' _Hiei noted to himself as he memorized the area. '_I'll cross back and forth so I can keep the area safe and also get stronger. I'll protect them, no matter the cost...' _Crimson eyes narrowed in determination as Hiei set about his task, his Jagan eye activating to try and find his twin sister. He'd lost her somewhere in this area, so maybe he could still pick up the trail... '_Looks like I'm going to have my hands full for the next little while_.' Fangs flashing as he smirked, Hiei set after a soul-stealing demon that was prowling in his new territory...

**\- Chapter 1 - End -**

-I hoped you all enjoyed this!

\- Kinda sad, though, huh? Bittersweet.

\- This chapter was meant to be more informative than anything, telling who Kagome's, Hiei's, and Yukina's father was. He's never been seen or named (that I know of) in the anime (either of the fathers), so I combined them and put my own spin on him. Taiki was a good man that loved his children...he never stopped loving them, even though he couldn't find two of them. He tried hard, though. He was a good father, through and through.

\- This chapter also shows a softer, more noble side of Hiei, at the end.

\- No that song isn't a real one. I made it up. I plan on adding more to it and making Kagome remember it sometime in the future. lol. XD

\- Taiki means Large or Great paired with Radiance or Shine. I wanted him to have a warm name to go with his fire demon species, and to also hint at the kind of person he is.

\- More interaction in the next chapter! Major time skip! Kagome learns the truth...what will her choice be? Keep reading to find out!

\- BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!


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